Moonlight Den
by Marimba Buddy
Summary: Two men plan to capture and imprison Jasper Park's population. Only Joey, an eastern pack wolf, with the help of his friends can put a stop to it.
1. Chapter 1

**Moonlight Den**

_Chapter 1_

My father showed me little attention, and my friends wouldn't come near the den because of my mother. She's one of those wolves that felt I needed to spend my time finding a mate instead of playing with my friends. But I couldn't help it…I'm an omega.

My name's Joey. As I mentioned, my parents can really be a drag. I guess they never got over the fact that their only child was an omega, a disgrace to the rest of my alpha family. It was for that reason we moved up into this dark den overlooking Jasper Park. Yeah, my parents really took me being an omega seriously. My father said we had to leave for the good of the pack. We still visited and are welcomed by the pack every so often, but we considered ourselves separate from the community.

"I know, son," my father said when I told him I missed hanging out with my friends down by the river. "But we just can't take the chance. There are some wolves in the pack that feel we are an abomination. This is best. Who knows? You could how them someday how wrong they really are."

My father may have despised me sometimes, but when he did give me a piece of his mind, he really showed he wants what's best for me.

Before I made us an outcast, we were with the eastern pack. Jasper Park was home to many wolves, but we split ourselves up into four sides; northern, southern, eastern, and western. I feel that was pointless. Don't wolves bitter amongst each other anyway? There's so much I had to learn.

The western pack wolves hated my parents' guts, of course, but allowed me to socialize with some of their youth because of my age. They felt I was no threat to them…yet. The wolf children, on the other hand, looked upon me in disgust. Except for one in particular: Humphrey. We saw each other as close friends. His friends, Salty, Shaky, and Mooch, felt similar. I'd known them for quite a while.

I never told my parents about them, as they would never forgive me for befriending western pack wolves. If they only knew what these omegas were like, but then again how would Humphrey and his friends tell the western pack about me. I let the matter go.

Our visits were limited, as were my visits with my own friends I told you about, because I have made friends within the eastern pack, too. I didn't see them much because of my mother, but we hung out a lot. We got along well, except for when I made the mistake of mentioning my friendship with Humphrey and all.

"Whose side are you on?" Ronny had retaliated. "I'm surprised you're even allowed over there. Eastern wolves and western wolves shouldn't be socializing, not even at this young age. It'll only devastate us further when we come of age and grow apart."

I found it incredible they let that go, but I knew that it would only go on for so long. And when that day came…things would get ugly.

Overall, I'd say my life was happy. Granted, there were certain things I didn't show affection for, I really felt at home.

But then, a minor starvation hit, as did some tension between the two packs. But that's not why it's significant to me.

It was a still morning in Jasper. I woke to the absence of my father. My mother was still asleep, so I snuck out of the den in search.

Perhaps he had gone hunting early again. He sometimes went hunting in the early morning to beat the rush.

It was rather peaceful that morning. Even though I was young, I enjoyed a good walk to keep myself in shape. I saw my buddies down by a river and went over to them for a chat.

"Hey."

"What's up, Joey?" Ronny said.

"Nothing much," I replied.

"Same here," said Chip. "Except my dad's gone, and no one knows why, either."

Now the situation struck me as odd. "Wait…what'd you mean?"

"Do I look like I know why?" Chip said. "I just woke up this morning and…bam! Gone. My mom said he told her he had…business…to take care of."

"My mom didn't even tell me anything," I said. Probably because she was never awake to tell me, or even find out.

"Hey, do you guys know where those caribou have been hiding lately?" Meatloaf asked. "I think they know our secrets."

"Man all you do is think about food!" said Ronny. "Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I'm sick of hearing you complain every five minutes!"

"Well, excuse me for wanting to live!" Meatloaf shot back.

Did I mention they fight sometimes? In fact, when it gets going, Chip and I find ourselves walking away from the two of them. Nice knowing we _all_ had each other's backs.

"Hey, guys?" I interrupted, as Ronny and Meatloaf were on the verge of being nose-to-nose. "Is it possible, by any chance, to focus on this situation?"

"Yeah," Ronny muttered, giving Meatloaf a cold look and Meatloaf reflected it.

"What do you think's going on?" I asked them.

"Huh?" They're also daydreamers, but I never blamed them. I was just as guilty.

"About our dads!"

"Hey," Chip intervened. "What's going on over there?"

"Over where?"

"There!"

Some fifty yards away, a group of wolves were gathered. My friends and I began walking over when a thick paw crossed our path.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Not so fast. Here, come with me."

"What?"

"Shh! Just come with me!"

We followed this elder over to his den. It smelled like something had burned and died in there. In fact, when I looked around, I could've sworn that was what happened. There was mud everywhere. In the corner was a ball of what looked like fur, but I didn't know what it was. But I'll tell you one thing, it wasn't alive.

"Don't stare at anything too long," the elder wolf warned. "Might make you crazy."

Though I'm no mind reader, I could tell my friends were thinking my same exact thought: '_Wait, what_?'

"So…" I asked nervously, "what did we do?"

"Nothing at all, my boy. I just couldn't let you find out what was going on from listening to them. They don't know what they're saying. I couldn't let you walk into the fight with your eyes closed."

"What's the problem?" I said, and my friends nodded. That was how we did it: I ask, they stand behind me looking curious.

The elder then dropped his voice so low it was really creepy. "We're running a bit low on food supply."

"What?"

"Haven't you heard? The caribou are leaving. They've made themselves scarce."

"Told ya," I heard Meatloaf whisper, and that was followed by a growl from Ronny.

I looked at the elder and realized who he was. He was old Roger, but people called him Hunter because he used to be the best hunter on the continent.

I made the mistake of asking him to repeat himself.

"Ears like that'll get you killed," Hunter told me. "We're almost outta food. I sense something coming. Reminds me of the Rockies."

"When was that?"

"Three years ago, I left for the Rocky Mountains for a few months on a trip. Well, on foot it was more like several months. When I arrived, I was many wolves just roaming around, looking miserable. I was told they were running out of food. Man, there were fights everywhere. Blood was everywhere. I didn't see much more, though, for I ran into a rattlesnake at the base of a cactus. Nearly got me, but I backed away. It followed, but I leapt over it. That was when I accidentally ran into the cactus. My left eye hasn't been the same since. That's when I came back, but of course, no one listened to me. So, I became the crazy old wolf that doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Man, that's just sad," said Ronny.

"There's not gonna be any FOOD?" Meatloaf said, jumping up.

Hunter rolled his eyes and asked me, "Is he always like this?"

"Pretty much."

"Wait," piped up Chip. "Is that why all our fathers are gone?"

"Most likely."

"Why?"

"Is that half the stuff you four say? 'Huh', 'what' and 'why'?"

"I never—"

"I'm just yanking your tail," Hunter said with a scoff. "Look, you four had best get going. I don't want your parents to know you're talking with the crazy wolf."

"But you're not—"

"I know," said Hunter, "but I don't mind calling myself that. Now go. Get going. We can always talk later."

That was the last time my friends would ever see him, but not for me.

The four of us left the den, but while my friends left for their homes, I was consumed by curiosity. '_Curiosity killed the wolf_' my mother always said, but I paid her voice no mind as I penetrated the crowd. There were so many wolves there, it was hard to believe this wasn't the whole pack. Finally, I made it to the inner ring of the circle.

"…and therefore certain precautions must be made," our pack leader, Tony, was saying. "I realize this is sudden, but I'd like to discuss the possibilities of an assault attack!"

There was murmuring amongst the crowd.

"It's obvious Winston has somehow contained all caribou on his side of the valley," Tony continued. "I'm forced to take an action such as this to prevent our pack from suffering. I won't let this pack starve. Not now, not ever."

It's sad, but sometimes I like the western packer leader Winston better. Maybe I should've just joined them.

On Tony's left side stood his young son, Garth. God, I hated him. Even at his young age, he only cared about himself and impressing girls. And they fell for him, too! I mean really, they need to open up their eyes!

"I need to speak with someone now," Tony said firmly. He faced the center of the crowd and spoke very clearly my father's name. "Marco!"

**AN:** Yeah, this first chapter's not all that exciting. It gets better.


	2. Chapter 2

**Moonlight Den**

_Chapter 2_

Have you ever had one of those moments where you don't pay attention to anything else? My father stepped forward out of the crowd and looked Tony dead in the eyes.

"Tony?"

"You're smart. You know more about the rest of this park than anybody here. What would be your suggestion?"

My father hesitated. "I'm not at liberty to use my knowledge for such assault purposes."

"Meaning?"

"I don't wish to speak lowly of anybody here."

Tony squinted his eyes. "This is no time for dignity, Marco. The future of the pack depends on this."

No, it didn't. It was only a minor food scarcity. Jasper Park had seen worse.

"No good will come of stealing from the western pack to feed us," my father said. "Surely you would understand that."

"If it were up to me, and me only, it would not have to be this way," said Tony impatiently, "but Winston refuses to tell me anything. He refuses to unite the packs, he refuses every one of my suggestions."

"But my son—"

"Your son is too young to understand," said Tony.

"Too young?" my father repeated. "He is old enough to understand the meaning of life, and the difference between right and wrong, good and bad."

Tony sighed. He was losing even more patience, but not giving up. "Come now, Marco. Let's not be hasty. It's as simple as this: I'm not going to let this pack starve. So, what'll it be?"

My father looked at Tony for a few seconds.

Tony smiled, knowing he had just won. "I'm listening…"

My father waited a few seconds before opening his mouth again.

"Dad? What did you tell him?"

"Nothing, son. Just forget it."

"Dad!"

"This happens to be one of the things he's right about you not understanding," me father said, gazing down at me.

"Huh?"

"You'll find out what I mean later. Much later. Now, I must go rest."

Unfortunately, what he said he'd tell me one day I never did find out.

The days went by like a summer breeze. It was a week afterward before the first major mark was made.

"I said I wouldn't let my pack starve," Tony told my father. The rest of the pack stood silently around us and a nearly-empty pond. "I've done my part. It's about time you did yours."

My father said nothing, but bowed his head slightly. Tony nodded and began walking away.

"Dear," my mother said to him as the pack dispersed.

"I do not wish for warm feelings at the moment, Celia."

My mother withdrew her helping paw at once. She knew better than to pester my father at a time like this.

That night, I woke to the sound of footsteps. My father had gotten up and left. He walked out and took a walk with Frances, Tony's right-hand wolf. I intend to follow them, but as I got down the hill, a familiar thick paw once again blocked me from going any further.

"Let him go," Hunter's voice told me through the darkness to my right. "C'mon. We need to talk."

I followed him back to his den, which was slightly cleaner but still a mess. The smelled differed slightly, and now smelled like rotting foot.

"I see curiosity is still raging through that body of yours," was the first thing he said.

"I was just—"

"Oh, I know what you were doing," he said. "I can't say I blame you, but this isn't your type of problem."

"What can we do?" I asked. I had to know.

"Us? A crazy old wolf and a youngster?" he laughed. "Nothing. We just let the professionals handle it and wait it out."

My stomach chose that moment to growl.

"Uh-huh," said Hunter with a nod.

"Um…Mr. Hunter?" I said.

"Hmm?"

"Where are you from, anyway?"

"Me? I'm from West Virginia," he explained. "I grew up in the Appalachian mountains outside of Charleston. That's where many good parts of my life unveiled, and also one of the worst."

I could sense part of a life story coming on.

"See, when I was a young adult, I was a lady magnet."

Of course. Why wouldn't he be?

"Many girls, many. Too many, sometimes. But I had a problem: I only loved them for looks. I would date one girl a week." A smile formed on his face. "But then one morning, I noticed a lightly-colored female eating in a field. I noticed a hunter nearby, aiming. Without much time to think otherwise, I jumped at him and threw off his aim. He took out a nearby branch. He ran off, and I never saw him again. The female thanked me. Her name was Grace. We talked, and it's like love put us together. We spent nearly every day together, and we were about to take it to the next level, when…" He stopped, took a deep breath, and continued. "That hunter came back, took her to Idaho. I tried to catch up with her, but by the time I got to Idaho, there was no trace of her. I never found out what had happened."

Although he was doing a great job of hiding it, I knew he was fighting back some release of grief.

"So," he said after a few seconds. "I came here to Jasper, because I'd heard it was a park of great romance. Like that could ever happen now. That was ten years ago."

"What do you think they wanted with Grace?" I asked him.

He looked at me. "I heard that they wanted her to hunt for them, because they weren't getting enough of their own captures as it stood. She had to do the hunting for them." He sighed before adding, "She wasn't a hunter."

Ouch, that was a serious complication.

Hunter was now staring at the ground a few feet from my paws. He looked back up and opened his mouth to say something, but something from outside interrupted him.

It was a gunshot.

Hunter jumped up. "Shh! Stay here."

"But I wanna see!"

"It's too dangerous. Stay put!"

"But I want to see who's there!"

He sighed again. "Alright, but stay quiet."

I followed him outside the den and behind a nearby tree. Three people were standing in the darkness. Two were hunters, and one was a scientist. The closer hunter stepped forward.

"What the hell happened?" the scientist asked.

"Got away," the hunter said. "Almost got him, though. He's probably not walking these hills again tonight."

"That's nice, but where exactly are we supposed to find another wolf now?" the scientist said in a low, fierce voice.

The hunter took a few steps away from him. "Look, Dr. Sandusky, I—"

"SHUT UP! I'm trying to think," Dr. Sandusky said. "Okay, let's see."

The hunter turned and approached the tree Hunter and I were hiding behind. "Sir—"

Dr. Sandusky looked enraged. "Ralph, did I, or did I not, just tell you to keep your mouth shut while I'm trying to think?"

"Sir," Ralph repeated with more emphasis. "I'm picking something up back here."

He pulled out a device I was unfamiliar with until hunter whispered frantically behind me.

"He's got a thermal imager! Get back!"

We retreated several feet behind another tree. Unfortunately, this didn't quite pass completely unnoticed.

"I got movement over there!" Ralph said, pointing to a spot near the area we had just passed through.

"Greg, what have you got?" Dr. Sandusky asked the other hunter.

"Nothin', 'cept what Ralph's got," Greg replied.

"Damn it!" Dr. Sandusky said.

"Sir, might I mention to keep your voice down in an area populated by wolves," Ralph said with an annoyed look on his face.

"Oh, and you'd do better at getting one of these things?" Dr. Sandusky asked, approaching Ralph vigorously.

"With all due respect, _we're_ the hunters here!"

"I don't give squat!" Dr. Sandusky spat.

"Well, have you ever thought that maybe Greg and I don't want to work for you anymore?" Ralph said. "You want a DNA sample so bad? Go and get it yourself!"

"Yeah," said Greg.

Dr. Sandusky pulled out a small pistol and shot Greg in the middle of the body. He fell to the ground, dead.

"Hey, you son of a—!" Ralph shouted, taking charge, but he didn't get very far. Dr. Sandusky had the pistol pointed into his grim face.

"Let's not make this difficult," Dr. Sandusky snarled.

"Okay," Ralph responded. "Just put the gun down."

"Very well," said Dr. Sandusky, dropping the pistol on the ground.

Ralph relaxed, which, after what happened next, was a bad move. Dr. Sandusky then pulled out a small knife and stabbed Ralph in the stomach with it, then took off running and laughing evilly.

Without thinking much, I stepped out and walked over to the man on the ground.

"Joey, wait!" Hunter said. Obviously, he had been watching me before enough. He knew my name. "Don't get too close to him! He might—Joey!"

I didn't listen. Hunter obviously stepped out too, because Ralph noticed the two of us.

"It's all—Sandusky," he managed to choke out, even though he thought we couldn't understand him. "You're—wolves, but you can still—do something. It's all—Sandusky. All—" he groaned and choked one final word before going limp, "—him."

I stared at him for a few seconds, then I felt Hunter tap me on the shoulder, indicating he wanted me to return to his den to talk for a moment.

"What did they mean?" I asked.

"I don't know."

"Are they causing the caribou to leave?"

"I don't know."

"Will we go hungry?"

"A little bit, but not much."

"Will that Sandusky guy kill us?"

"_I don't know_."

I admit my question were a bit fast and continuous, but I was nervous and scared.

"Well, what do we do?"

"You'd better go home, little buddy. I'll see what I can find out. I'll let you know."

I went home and tried to sleep, but it took a while, because the scene I had just encountered kept replaying over and over in my mind.

**AN:** Well that's not good, is it? Dr. Sandusky's up to something. What is it?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Ready?" Humphrey asked.

"Oh, yeah," Kate replied. Then, the two of them howled at the moon in a duet, just as everyone else joined in. I sit here now watching nearby.

Do I deserve a mate like Humphrey deserves Kate? I don't even know where Leslie is now. Perhaps I do, I haven't been too sure about what to do with my life since what happened.

But I'm getting _way_ ahead of myself here. I awoke the morning after Ralph and Greg were deceased. I felt like I normally did when I got up, but one quick glance outside brought the memories back.

"Stay back!" my mother warned me as I approached. "Don't come any closer, Joey darling."

I turned and saw Hunter. I walked over to him.

"How was your night?" he asked me.

"Rough," I said. "Yours?"

"You kidding?" Hunter laughed. "I've seen things much worse than that. No changes."

"What—?" I began, but I was interrupted by Tony.

"Okay," he said in an annoyed voice, as if the whole thing was one of our faults. "We have an enemy who's eliminating, not only us, by his own kind as well. I want all alphas to meet up on the hill tonight. We must defend our territory."

Everyone walked away, and Tony nodded at my father. "You're joining us, I presume, Marco?"

"Indeed."

That was the last it was spoken of.

That night, I snuck out of the den again, careful not to wake my mother. I had to start walking or else she would wake up and see me leaving. She couldn't stop me if I was already gone.

On my way to the hill, I heard a small rustling coming from a nearby bush. I peered behind it and jumped, as did the culprit of the noise. We saw each other and relaxed.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked my friend.

"Snacking," Chip said, his mouth covered in blue and red. "I was eating berries as I usually do. You know they're supposed to be really organic, right?"

"I've heard."

"Did you hear anything?"

"Yeah," I said. "You."

"No, I mean like, gunshots. You think it's another hunter?"

"I hope not," I told him. I was also hoping even more so that Dr. Sandusky wouldn't be with him. "Believe me. It's not the actual hunters we should be worried about."

"Shoot, now I'm really worried!" said Chip.

"Don't be," I said. "It's just—"

I cut off. There was movement behind me. I knew because I could hear it and see it in the reflection of Chip's eyes.

"Chip," I said slowly. "Don't move."

"But—"

"Don't. Move," I repeated. "One muscle twitches and it's over for both of us."

"What if—?"

"Don't move until I say so," I said. I learned a lot from my father.

The hunter behind me was making silent footsteps, but fear amplified my hearing.

"Hey, Larry," I heard him say into a walkie-talkie. "I got two small ones here. They the kind you want?"

"No," said a fierce voice. I gulped. It was Dr. Sandusky. "No, kill them anyway, but don't bother bringing them back. I have no use for youth. Gimme a big one."

"Whatever you say," the hunter said. "And hey, would it _kill_ you to say please?"

I'm not going to repeat what Dr. Sandusky said next.

"Fine!" the hunter said, putting away his walkie. He raised his gun.

Chip looked completely terrified. "Joey!"

"A little longer! Wait for it!"

Right on cue, my father emerged from nowhere and tackled the hunter to the ground. He bit the hunter on the arm, and the hunter yelled in pain. Chip and I dove behind a log and watched as the hunter ran off, my father watching him angrily. He turned and looked at us.

"What are you two doing out here this late at night?"

"My fault, sir," Chip said before I could say anything. Like I said, he always had my back. "I asked him to accompany me in a midnight snack."

"I appreciate your honesty, Chip," my father said, "but I don't think now is the best time."

"I understand, sir."

"What are you doing, Dad?" I asked. "I thought you had a meeting."

"I did. It's still going on," my father replied. "I saw that hunter walking this way, I then I saw you and Chip, so I had to come."

A faint voice called, "Chip!"

"There's my mom, I gotta go!" Chip said, and he ran off.

"Go home, son," my father told me. "Go home and stay safe." He walked back toward the hill.

I started to return to my den, but my curiosity got the better of me yet again. I followed where the hunter had gone, and found him standing in a nearby clearing, talking on his walkie again.

"Alright," he said. "I just got frickin' attacked because you delayed my shot!"

"Preposterous!" Dr. Sandusky shouted. "Remember, you're the one who called me up. I told you from the beginning to clear out any little ones you find!"

The hunter was about to say something in retaliation, but Dr. Sandusky sensed this, so he continued.

"Look, just get back here, now!"

The hunter hesitated to respond or do anything. Dr. Sandusky became more angry.

"I mean it, Dave!"

Dave groaned. "Fine." He put the walkie away again and looked in my direction. Apparently I wasn't as hidden as I thought I was. Dave pulled out a small pistol. I turned around to see if someone else was standing behind me, if that's who he was pointing at. Nope.

Something struck me from behind. I turned and saw something small, like a pin, with a bushy end, sticking out of my back. I tried to run, but my legs suddenly didn't want to cooperate.

"Uh-oh," I said, and my voice sounded far away. "I gotta—get out of here."

I fell, tripping over nothing but my own legs. Then, something else happened. I felt really happy.

What I did next, I'm really embarrassed to say. I looked up at the sky, and I heard myself shout, "To all my lovers!" The last thing I remember before blackout was Dave's face looking down at me curiously.

"I told you to kill him and leave him!"

"I had my tranquilizer dart gun with me!"

"So?"

"_So_…I decided to tranquilize him. Who knows? He might be useful to you!"

I recognized the second voice as Dave's. The first was, no doubt, Dr. Sandusky.

"Useful to _me_?" Dr. Sandusky repeated. "Useful to _me_?"

I could tell Dave shrugged or something.

Dr. Sandusky said more words.

"Stop swearing every sentence!" Dave said.

Another word.

"Seriously, Larry," Dave said, "if I got a dollar for every swear word you said, I'd have nine bucks right now."

"Shut up!" Dr. Sandusky said. "I'm trying to think."

"Your 'thinking' needs way too much concentration," Dave shot back.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing…much."

I finally opened my eyes. I was in a cage in the middle of a large lab. The two arguing men stood in front of me.

"Can you do something for me?" Dr. Sandusky asked, his voice suddenly calmer.

"I dunno," said Dave, folding his arms. "Can I?"

Dr. Sandusky then returned partially to his normal irritation. "Sure you can. Run down to the basement and grab that vile of the new experiment I've been working on."

Dave glared at Dr. Sandusky for a few seconds. "Okay. What's it called?"

"I don't know," Dr. Sandusky replied. "I haven't come up with a name for it yet. But it's gonna be what Bobby wants."

"And why does Dr. Reight want something like that?" Dave asked.

"Trust me," said Dr. Sandusky, looking down at me with a grin on his face. "You'll find out."

Dave sighed and left the room. Dr. Sandusky leaned over and whispered to me,

"Not as smart as you thought you were, now were you?"

He walked off to a nearby counter. I wanted to stretch my legs but I couldn't. The cage was really small.

"Let's see how well you can take this."

He turned around and held up something small. A vile containing a blue substance.

"Okay, I got the—" Dave stopped when he saw the vile in Dr. Sandusky's hand. "Man, what'd you make me go all the way down there for?"

"Oh, I still need it," Dr. Sandusky said. "This here is just to make him unable to resist. They'll all be unable to resist."

"Why can't you just borrow my brother's electric table?" Dave asked.

"Too noisy," said Dr. Sandusky. "Plus I hate that burning smell."

"Really?" said Dave sarcastically. "You don't seem to have a problem with your own stench."

Dr. Sandusky gave Dave a cold look before proceeding to inject me.

"Wait."

"What?" Dr. Sandusky glared over at Dave.

"What's in that stuff?"

Dr. Sandusky ignored him, continuing to move his arm forward. I took my chance. I bit him hard on the arm. He yelled and backed away, dropping the vile.

"Looks like the painful way it is, then," he said, picking it up off the floor.

I didn't know what he meant by that, but I knew it wasn't good. He leaned forward again.

"Wait, Larry…"

"WHAT?"

"Don't you think you should take him out of the cage first?" Dave suggested.

"Why?"

"So you can have a better chance at getting him!" Dave approached me and reached for the cage door.

"Don't open it!" Dr. Sandusky shouted. "Are you insane?"

"Are _you_ stupid?" Dave really had confidence against this guy.

Dave proceeded to reach for it. His hand was on it. Dr. Sandusky grabbed him by the arm and pushed his hand away, but his coat snagged the hook and the door opened.

I didn't want to risk another chance of them injecting me. I jumped onto Dr. Sandusky and over onto the floor.

"Get him! Where's your gun?" Dr. Sandusky shouted.

I ran through the door. There was nothing but a dimly lit hallway. I saw a vent and I grabbed the grate. It was heavy, but not screwed on. I pulled it off just as a bullet struck the wall a foot above my head.

"Just kill him!" Dr. Sandusky's voice rang angrily from somewhere behind me.

I ran inside the vent as quick as I could. I didn't know where I was going, so I went with instinct and turned left. I saw light ahead and I ran towards it. I pushed the grate off and smelled the cool night air. I took off running for the nearby woods, as the door burst open and another one of Dave's shots narrowly missed me. I leapt into a bush. Dave stopped at the edge of the forest.

"Where are you?" he taunted, his eyes raking over every bush and tree he could see. After a minute or two, he kicked a tree in anger and returned inside.

I thought the trouble was over, until a rasping, maniacal voice spoke behind me.

"Well, well. Who do we have here?"


End file.
